Handbrake..............Again

[justwill]

Took the 6 for an MOT in Jan, Failed on the front flexies (brakes) and on the Handbrake............. What a shock
Anyways got the bitch back, MoT pass, low and behold the handbrake is excatly the same, if not slightly worse.
I live on a hill and still, post MoT, have to park in gear?

[BigGav75]

same thing happened myself, passed mot 6 weeks ago stepped outta car to get a coat pulled hand brake up, car rolled down the hill into large pole. Car now written off!

[eoin27]

I found my car on the other side of a shopping centre car park once, thank god it didn't roll into another car, it just gently rolled into a wall. No damage done.

[jasper5]

There is no reason for the handbrake not to work properly.

If the brakes are set up correctly, there should not be a problem.

[teamster1975]

There is no reason for the handbrake not to work properly.

If the brakes are set up correctly, there should not be a problem.

I've never managed to get it spot on Jasper, I've replaced rear discs, shoes & pads and the hand brake cables but it still leaves a lot to be desired.
I've followed Haynes & Steve's advice on adjusting it but unless you've got arms like popeye you won't get the handbrake off on a steep hill, you have to pull it that tight!
I used mintex kit for the brakes, are they ok or would you recommend any others?

Cheers,

Matt

[mjb]

There is no reason for the handbrake not to work properly.

If the brakes are set up correctly, there should not be a problem.

I beg to differ when it comes to the 406 - we really do suffer from awful handbrakes. My guess is it's down to that tissue paper backplate. How can brakes be sharp when they're mounted on something so flexible?

Even when correctly adjusted they're poor - on both sides, mine touch the disc on the first click, but you've got to pull the lever to the sky to get them to hold the car

[Welly]

I used to liken the feel of my handbrake to that of 2 wooden blocks connected with leather and Horse hair acting on a block of hard cheese.....

Bizarely my handbrake gave sterling service through 3 years of MOT's and to be fair would lock the back wheels at low speeds

The other strange thing is how well my left arm has developed over the same period

[teamster1975]

The other strange thing is how well my left arm has developed over the same period

And also the bollocking you get off your wife when she can't release the handbrake!

[jasper5]

Sorry guys, but mine works perfectly, even for the wife.

No disrespect to anyone, but this is the best way to adjust the handbrake on the 406 with discs on the back and handbrake shoes.

Inside the car, unscrew the cable until it's very slack, take off the back wheels and slacken off the cable going across the rear axle (you may need to soak the adjuster in WD40 or penetrating oil for a while), screw up the adjusters inside the brake drum until the drum is locked, unscrew the adjuster until the drum turns with a little drag against the shoes (it's best to push back the brake pads first to make turning the drum easier), then tighten the adjuster on the cable across the axle until the brake drums are tight, then slacken the cable adjuster until the drum turns nicely, now you adjust the cable inside the car until the drums are tight, then unscrew the adjuster until the drums turn nicely with just a little drag (should be about 4 or 5 clicks on the handbrake ratchet).

For the ones with shoes and drums on the back.....

Slacken the cables as above, adjust the brakes using the wheel inside the drum a couple of clicks at a time until the drum fits nicely and turns with just a slight drag.Then tighten the cable adjusters as above.

[teamster1975]

I'll take any advice I can get Jasper, I'd like it just to work!

[HimBigChief]

Seems like a bit of a long winded way really, but worth a go I suppose. Now do you have any tips for how to fix a knackered backing plate as my handbrake shoes are loose in the discs/drums as the locking pins just keep pulling straight through the backing plate. I was thinking about knocking a little indent in the back of them and using locking washers from the rear. Will be fiddly but worth it if it keeps the shoes in place.

[jasper5]

It is long winded, I agree, but it need only be done once, this is used to set up the cables and adjusters properly.Afterwards, you only need adjust the shoes inside the drum.

I use this method when I get complaints of handbrake troubles with fairly new cars that come to me from previous main dealer servicing, they never remove brake drums to adjust the handbrake, they only tighten the cable (s), this leads to the amount of travel inside the drum for the handbrake lever to operate being largely reduced, thereby reducing the effeciency of the handbrake....that's why I suggest slackening all the cables, adjusting the brake shoes, then adjusting the cables (I had this problem only this morning with a Daewoo Matiz, despite it being a 2002 model, the rear drums had never been off, only the cables in the back had been tightened), this caused the levers to be about 13 mm too far forward not allowing them to properly operate the shoes.( think of it as the lever at 2 o' clock instead of at 12), half the movement is lost.

As far as finding a solution to the pins being pulled through the backplate....yeah, just use some locking washers from a conventional brake shoe setup, an easy fix, they won't get pulled through the backplate.Get some slightly longer pins as well, so that you can reverse the locking washers to be flat against the backplate.

[HimBigChief]

Ooh, any advice on where to get longer pins as the local garages didn't seem to have any that'd fit the bill?

[jasper5]

Have you any motor factors in your area?

Bear in mind that you don't need to use the original type of pin, get some that come complete with springs and convert the locking system to conventional pins and locking washers, or you could use shorter springs with the original pin.

Knock a pin through the hole in a locking washer so that it fits flat side to the backplate, push it through the backplate, fit the spring over the pin, then fit the locking washer as per conventional shoe holding down pins, springs and washers.

If you really can't find any longer pins, measure them for me, PM your address and I will send you some with my compliments.